The number of mortgage applications received by De Hypotheker from home owners who want to increase their borrowing to pay for major work and energy efficiency measures rose by 59% in March, the company said on Friday.
With energy prices under pressure because of the war in the Middle East, home owners are being spurred to take energy saving measures and protect themselves against future swings, the company said.
In addition, many home owners have decided to invest more in their current property rather than move, because of the shortage of homes to buy.
The focus on home improvements first emerged as a trend during the energy crisis after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, De Hypotheker said. In 2024, its agents dealt with 22% more requests for loans to fund home improvements, and there was a further 17% rise last year. Young home owners and the over-55s are most likely to apply.
Buyers in the Netherlands can borrow an additional lump sum when buying a house if they plan to invest in energy-saving measures and can also borrow up to 106% of the value of the property if they agree to invest the 6% in improvements.
There are also various other subsidies available to help pay for specific measures.
All these measures are making it more affordable for more people to make their homes more sustainable, said De Hypotheker commercial director Mark de Rijke. “At the same time, more than half of home owners…say they don’t know enough about the financing options and that all the changes make it confusing. There is a clear role here for advisors.”
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